Providing women in the insurance industry with opportunities for professional development and assistance in advancing their careers

Insurance Woman of the Year

APIW, Inc. (the Association of Professional Insurance Women) announced that Maria T. Vullo, Superintendent Financial Services, State of New York, has been selected as this year’s recipient of the APIW Insurance Woman of the Year Award. A cocktail reception and award ceremony honoring Superintendent Vullo will be held on Tuesday, June 12, 2018, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at The Grand Hyatt in New York City.

In announcing this year’s award, APIW President Susan Zdroik said: “We are proud to present the 2018 APIW Woman of the Year award to NY Superintendent of Financial Services, Maria T. Vullo. As an enthusiastic supporter of women in the insurance industry, she best exemplifies APIW’s organizational goals of helping professional insurance women advance in their careers. Ms. Vullo is a recognized leader in protecting women’s rights globally and has been widely recognized for her selfless pro bono work prior to taking on her current position. It is therefore our privilege and honor to announce Maria T. Vullo as this year’s recipient of our highest honor, the APIW Woman of the Year.”

Financial Services Superintendent Maria T. Vullo said: “I am honored and truly grateful to have been chosen for the Association of Professional Insurance Women’s prestigious “Woman of the Year Award”. It is empowering to be chosen by APIW, an organization that provides critical and essential opportunities to encourage, promote and recognize women’s success and survival.”

Maria T. Vullo was confirmed by the New York State Senate as Superintendent Financial Services on June 15, 2016. She was nominated for the position by Governor Andrew Cuomo. Prior to joining DFS, Ms. Vullo was a litigation partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, where she led civil, criminal, and regulatory investigations and handled precedent-setting pro bono cases in support of women’s rights. Ms. Vullo also served as Executive Deputy Attorney General for Economic Justice Division in the Office of the New York State Attorney General, under then New York State Attorney General Cuomo.

As DFS Superintendent, Ms. Vullo manages a staff of more than 1,350 individuals, supervising the activities of more than 1,400 insurance companies with assets of more than $4.3 trillion, and nearly 1,500 banking and other financial institutions with assets of more than $2.6 trillion. Under her leadership, DFS has undertaken new policy initiatives addressing consumer protections and industry regulation, including a first-in-the-nation cybersecurity regulation, and anti-money laundering regulation, as well as various initiatives designed to protect and advance the rights of women and girls. Governor Cuomo appointed Superintendent Vullo to the New York State Council on Women and Girls, which broadly focuses on multiple areas of impact: education, economic opportunity, work force equity, leadership, healthcare, child care, safety and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

Under Superintendent Vullo, DFS has ensured that all New York women have access to the reproductive healthcare products and services they deserve. DFS has undertaken initiatives to expand access to breast cancer screening; allow domestic violence survivors to enroll in health insurance plans at any time of the year; strengthen access to infertility treatments; and support pregnant and post-partum women by ensuring insurance coverage for maternal depression screening and treatment.

Ms. Vullo has received numerous awards including the New York Women Making a Difference Award from Eleanor’s Legacy, the Mario M. Cuomo Public Service Award, the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Interfaith Nutrition Network, and the Distinguished Corporate Citizen Award from A Better Balance, among many other awards and professional recognitions.